Online sales increase in 2010

July 21, 2011

Online retail
sales are quickly climbing, with recent figures showing total sales, excluding
travel, grew a remarkable 450% during the last decade. How does that increase compare
with overall furniture and bedding sales? The following three growth rates highlight
the online channel's dominant position within retail and its ever-strengthening
position within furniture:

9.8% - the growth rate for
total online retail sales, excluding travel, between 2009 and 2010, according
to comScore.

7.4% - the growth rate for
online furniture category sales, between 2009 and 2010, according to
comScore.

2.9% - the growth rate for
total furniture and bedding retail sales, through all distribution
channels, between 2009 and 2010, according to figures from the U.S.
Department of Commerce and Furniture/Today.

This 2010
online furniture gain means the channels' overall market share is rising, too.
The online channel accounted for an estimated 8% of all furniture and bedding
retail sales last year, up one percentage point from about 7% in 2009. Furniture/Today
highlighted 30 leading furniture e-Tailers in its July 18th issue. Click here for the complete report. The eTailers presented in the exclusive
listing sold more than $1.2 billion worth of home furnishings in 2010, with
several experiencing year-over-year growth rates of more than